Early spring will bring a new dimension in skilled, compassionate, end-of-life care to our community with the opening of the Doylestown Hospital Hospice at Pine Run, a residential (inpatient) hospice unit in a beautifully renovated area of Pine Run Health Center. “The new residential hospice at Pine Run is really an extension of the comprehensive care our hospice already provides,” says Veronica Coyne,MD,medical director of Doylestown Hospital Hospice. But we’re adding another dimension so that we can care for very ill hospice patients in a comfortable and homelike setting who, for a number of reasons, cannot be cared for at home.”

Indeed, ‘homelike’ and ‘comfortable’ best describe the design and feel of the new residential hospice, which includes ten patient rooms, a fully equipped kitchen in a large common area, smaller consultation rooms, and hospice team offices. “We wanted to make it very accommodating to families and friends, who are welcome to visit for as long as they like, prepare meals... even sleep on one of the sofa beds,” says Jean Chubb, RN, MSN, director of Doylestown Hospital Hospice. “Our residential hospice has been a long time in the planning, and we’re very pleased to be able to turn the vision of what we wanted it to be into reality with this lovely facility.”

Enriching end of life with a special way of caring
The hospice at Pine Run will be staffed 24 hours a day with professional staff and provide services that meet a variety of needs, including care for people on hospice who have symptoms that can’t be controlled at home or who don’t have a primary caregiver at home. It also offers respite care when family caregivers need a break for a week or two. “With the new residential hospice, we’re meeting needs we weren’t able to fully meet before,” says Jean. “That’s professionally and personally satisfying to the hospice team and beneficial to our hospice patients and their families. It’s a wonderful addition to our program.”

The Doylestown Hospital Hospice at Pine Run is being created exclusively through donated funds, a fact that Jean finds very gratifying. “We’ve received such wonderful support from the community,” Jean says. “And we’re so pleased to be able to use that support to provide a new dimension of the skilled, compassionate care our hospice is so well known for.”

To learn more about Doylestown Hospital Hospice services and volunteer opportunities, call (215)345-2671